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Taoiseach Enda Kenny has opened the forum on how the UK decision to leave the EU will impact Ireland.
Participants include farmer and food industry trade association representatives from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
However, Unionist political representatives from the North are notably absent as they declined the offer by the Taoiseach to take part.
The breakout sessions are focusing on the impact on both a North-South basis, which is of particular interest to Northern Ireland participants, and east-west, which is of particular interest to Republic of Ireland participants.
With the current level of uncertainty caused by Brexit, it is essential that a package of supports is quickly put in place by Government
Irish meat exports
Speaking at the forum on behalf of Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the meat factory trade association chair, Philip Carroll, said that 56% of Irish meat exports go to the UK each year, valued at over €2bn.
“With the current level of uncertainty caused by Brexit, it is essential that a package of supports is quickly put in place by Government to support the sector through this difficult period,” he said.
He also called for EU assistance to support sectors most exposed to the Brexit-related sterling collapse, and “a review of state aid restrictions that inhibit investments aimed at supporting businesses in member states like Ireland, which are most exposed to the changing relationship between the UK and the EU”.
Listen to the view from Northern Ireland's meat exporters in our podcast below:
Listen to "NI meat processors at Brexit forum" on Spreaker.
Hard/soft Brexit
Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams TD said the forum “should not be about a hard Brexit or a soft Brexit. It needs to be about moving beyond the consequences of Brexit and looking at alternatives.”
Vital national interest
ICMSA president John Comer said: “It was difficult to conceive of another situation where the term ‘vital national interest’ was more justified.” He appealed to all our political parties and public representatives to “recognise that fact and get on the same page where this supremely important issue was concerned”.
Meanwhile, ICSA general secretary Eddie Punch said that Irish farmers cannot continue to carry the cost of exchange rate fluctuations resulting from Brexit uncertainty. “While in the short term, falling beef prices due to sterling weakness may have been inevitable, in the medium term they are unsustainable. ICSA rejects the importation of the cost of Brexit which is what food processors are doing when they pass back the impact of weaker sterling to the primary producer.”
The main output of today's dialogue will be a report and recommendations which will be used to help inform the Government's position on issues related to the UK’s exit negotiations.
SHARING OPTIONS: